


brilliant and beautiful

by whatcaniwriteinthis



Series: kurotsukki week (and a half) 2016 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Age Swap, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crushes, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 11:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7359841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatcaniwriteinthis/pseuds/whatcaniwriteinthis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Cute.” Tsukishima chuckles. Tetsurou hides his face in his hands.</p><p>or: the au where all the third years are first years and the first years are third years (and the second years still second years) and tsukki is finally kuroo's senpai</p>
            </blockquote>





	brilliant and beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> for kurotsukki week (and a half) day one: age

A hand rests gently on top of his head. Tetsurou jumps and looks up. Standing above him is Tsukishima Kei, from Karasuno.

“Tsukishima-senpai,” he exclaims, shocked and, yeah, a little scared.

“What are you doing here?” Tsukishima asks, not rudely.

“I wanted to watch you practice.” Tetsurou admits. Tsukishima looks taken aback. He pauses, and studies him. He must see something he likes because he motions for Tetsurou to follow him.

Tetsurou spends the evening watching Tsukishima Kei, one of the best blockers in the prefecture, if not all of Japan. He plays a two-on-two with Haiba-san from Tetsurou’s team against Hinata Shouyou from Karasuno and, surprisingly, Akaashi Keiji, a second year setter from Fukurodani. Akaashi keeps up with the third years easily, and even earns several high-fives from Hinata-san and Haiba-san and even one from Tsukishima-senpai himself.

“Nicely done, Akaashi-kun.” Tsukishima says easily as they clean up. Akaashi smiles softly and whispers a thank you. Tetsurou rushes around behind them, gathering stray volleyballs. Tsukishima raises an eyebrow, but says nothing.

 

* * *

 

Tetsurou is back the next day, on the sidelines, by the scoreboard. When Tsukishima enters, he glances over and raises both his eyebrows in a mild surprise. “You’re back?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Tetsurou replies.

Tsukishima watches him, considering. “Do you want to join?” he asks casually. Tetsurou nods eagerly.

“I wanna learn blocking.” he says seriously. Tsukishima huffs.

“Do you now?” He glances over at the rest of the group who are coming in now. “Hey Hinata go call Sugawara and rescue him from the King.”

“Kay!” Hinata exclaims, and then takes off towards the main gym. Tetsurou watches him go, feeling like he should have offered to go instead, but then Tsukishima gestures for him to join him by the net.

“Can you set?” he asks.

“A little.” Tetsurou replies.

“Well, as long as you’re better than Lev at receives.” Tsukishima glances over at Haiba-san, who yells indignantly and also indistinctly. Tetsurou tries not to laugh too obviously.

Tsukishima side-eyes him, obviously noticing, but just smirks a little.

And so Tetsurou starts practicing with them, and he learns a lot- but not just about volleyball, also about Tsukishima.

At first glance, he seems super serious, but he also laughs quietly at the shitty puns Tetsurou makes when he tries to fit into the group of older players- save Suga of course, who fits in easily with a few wide grins and well-placed “of course, senpai”s. Tetsurou is much too sarcastic to do that.

Tsukishima also seems like he doesn’t care too much for volleyball. He makes them stop half an hour before dinner, and he doesn’t show even a fraction of the enthusiasm that Haiba or Hinata do. Then Tetsurou slowly realizes that he does care, but he’s just much more subtle about it.

They stop early so they have enough time to clean up and cool down. He stays calm so he can stay analytical. He does care, but in a very special way- and Tetsurou slowly realizes that he wants to learn more about this special way.

So he spends more time with Tsukishima. He follows him around, a bit like a lost puppy- according to the Karasuno’s libero, Noya-san- but Tsukishima doesn’t seem to care. He shows Tetsurou not only how to lean his arms slightly over the net without touching it, but also how to steal meat back from Bokuto without him noticing. Tsukishima claims he learned that particular skill from his time with the “Dumbass Duo” as he calls them (Hinata and Kageyama, the legendary spiker-setter duo, the coolest possible volleyball players Tetsurou has ever had the honor to meet).

“Oh don’t say that to them.” Tsukishima groans when Tetsurou expresses this.

“Why not?” Tetsurou asks. They’re sitting at the top of the steep hill used for punishment runs. Karasuno has gone up it so many times that Tsukishima makes record time up it. He says it’s a half-decent party trick. Tetsurou thinks it’s fucking cool.

“The first time Daichi called them ‘senpai’ they ran into each other.” Tsukishima rolled his eyes. He dropped back onto his back.

“You don’t think they’re cool?” Tetsurou asks.

“You’re insolent, aren’t you.” Tsukishima huffs. Tetsurou starts to apologize, but Tsukishima cuts him off. “I don’t mind, kid.”

“You’re not that much older.” Tetsurou mutters under his breath.

“They’re cool, but they’re easily flattered.” Tsukishima explains. Tetsurou doesn’t say anything, just watches him carefully. Tsukishima glances at him. “But enough about them,”

They lounge in the grass in companionable silence for what feels like forever, but Tetsurou enjoys it. He’s used to Kenma, who never feels the need to fill the silence with words, and he just applies this mindset to this moment. He just lies down next to Tsukishima, and tries not to let his heart beat too fast.

Tetsurou is almost asleep when he feels a hand gently move hair off his face, and then lips press gently on his forehead. He keeps his eyes closed, but he can’t stop the flush from spreading across his face.

“Cute.” Tsukishima chuckles. Tetsurou hides his face in his hands.

“You too.” he whispers back. Tsukishima laughs, brilliant and beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> cranked this out pretty fast and didn't proof read very well so please feel free (read: do it man) to point out any mistakes ^^


End file.
